Eternal Flame
by naturesenshi
Summary: A league of legends based fan fiction story. Things finally seem to be looking up for Jayce, people are acknowledging him as one of the most brilliant young minds in Piltover. And he shall be rewarded. But is his reward all that it is set out to be? If you like it, feel free to encourage me by voting. First 10 followers will receive special dedications. Enjoy and thanks for reading
1. Prologue : Genesis

**Prologue: Genesis**

"You all know why you're here," Swain announced, his arms folded across the metallic brim which encased the acacia wood table. The ends of his talon like nails dug into his skin as he tried to contain his anger. "Why has there not been any word from the informant?" He attempted to ask calmly but his last words rung in exasperation. Silence clung to the room, hovering over their heads like a puppet master, clamping the members of the Noxian Council's lips shut. No one dared to utter a word, in the fear of the consequences they could face. This though seemed to enrage Swain further. "Where is he?!" He bellowed, his nails then digging deeply into the finely finished table and a snapping sound resonating out as it submitted to the applied pressure.

"He's been made…" a soft voice with a slight rasp responded, as a silhouette emerged from the shadows, "... redundant." A young woman revealed herself, her ashen skin glistening faintly as the light reflected off her skin. Hair darker than the crow's feather that sprouted from her held up hair, leaving only her jawline and forehead protected from the ghastly breeze that entered the room. She wore a fitted black dress that laid bare the entirety of her right arm, connected only by the golden choker that caressed her neck. A fur rimmed gloved-hand, supported by a golden armband graced her right hip as she sauntered forward revealing her right leg through the split in the dress which trailed behind her. "Surely you should know by now, old friend," she purred pulling her plump plum lips into an insincere frown.

"Who is this woman?" A member questioned but without waiting for an answer, he called "Guards!" The response was immediate, with dozens of guards flocking into the room, arching around her. "It matters not, entering this hall without permission can be counted as shot and is punishable by death."

"But I am a council member," she claimed. "In fact..." She continued glancing at Swain suggestively, "Jericho was just about to return my seat." The members of the council turned to him, noticing that he had fallen silent. His jaw tightened and brows furrowed as he glared back at her. "Don't be so overwrought, old friend. I mean you no harm," she said raising up her hands in a demonstrative manner. The shriek of unsheathed swords echoed across the room at this gesture, seated members reaching for their weapons, all except Swain who had his hands folded under his chin and General Darius who was seated to his right. Both made no attempt to imply that they would attack. The tension raised as though they were aboard a raft upon a stormy sea. "See?" She said smirking "Harmless."

-1-

"Seize her!" Another members ordered. The guards approached her aggressively, but she did not show any sign of alarm.

"Come now children," she said flashing a malicious smile, her words ringing with somewhat ominous intent, "we can play later. Let the adults finish talking." A guard attempted to strike her, but as though he cut through air, his sword went through her causing him to strike down his comrade. "Very well," she sighed in slight exasperation, her golden eyes emitting a purple pulsed light at her words. The atmosphere changed as the nature of her monstrous power leaked into the air. The soldiers disintegrated around her, shattering as though they were made of the most fragile glass and leaving no trace of blood behind. She stepped over the crumbled human remains rubbing them beneath her heels. A blade erupted from her chest, blood dripping as it ran down from the tip. Scarlet hair bloomed behind the strange woman's corpse whose golden eyes dulled into a glazed gray colour, revealing the Sinister Blade as her lifeless body tumbled onto the floor. The anxiety from the two generals visibly decreased as they glanced gratefully at Katarina. She pushed away her red fringe with a flick of her head, as her pink lips curled into a smirk at her accomplishment. Their eyes widened in realisation when the body suddenly morphed into another soldier before crumbling. Katarina scuffed at the shot, the scar above her emerald eyes twisting in disgust. A loud clap resonated from behind Swain before the same voice rung, "That was quite the dramatic ending, if I do say so myself. Though I am disappointed with what you have made of the militant guard Jericho."

"Enough with the petty tricks LeBlanc," Katarina spat, kicking the fallen blade from the floor into her hands as she reached for the second that embraced her back. "This is not a game."

"Ooh," LeBlanc pouted, "I like you even more out of the ring. I think I will keep you." Katarina clenched her jaws at the mention of being kept like a pet. However, she realised she was outmatched. All attempts to Shun Po towards LeBlanc were futile, she could not even summon her blades. She was rooted; she glanced at her feet to realise that shackles clasped onto them, bending around her leather trousers like a serpent around its prey before wrapping its jaws around her wrists, preventing her from removing her blade from its sheath. Her left hand had was also in the same situation, blade in hand but unable to wield it, it was held by the same purple glowing chains. Katarina struggled once more to release herself from the chains, letting out a enraged roar, but they refused to loosen nor tighten under her strength and magic. Unlike on the rift, she had been unable to tell that she had fallen under the Deceiver's illusions and that frightened her. She understood when she was the predator in any scenario, and she most certainly was not under these circumstances. "Besides, I just wanted to lighten the mood. You all looked so anxious," LeBlanc laughed but then switched to a malevolent expression when her attention turned to Swain, "My sincere condolences for your loss, your crow was truly the most loyal of your subjects. However, I won't ask again."

"Why now?" He asked leaving his seat and gesturing towards it.

-2-

"Plans are now fully in motion," LeBlanc answered, gracefully taking the seat. "The Black Rose is blooming once more, and with it comes conquest."

**A/C:**

**Katarina a.k.a The Sinister Blade. A high ranked assassin from Noxus **

** Shun Po = Teleportation skill that Katarina is able to use**

**LeBlanc a.k.a The Deceiver**

** Leader of the Black Rose which is a mysterious society in Noxus**


	2. Chapter One: The Defender of Tomorrow

**Chapter One: The Defender Of Tomorrow**

He stared intensely into the eyes of his opponent, attempting to anticipate his next move. Calculating possible counter strikes to the incoming attack. His temples furrowed as he bit his lip in frustration; he could not see a way around - there was no escape. The sense of impending doom slowly dawned on him at this realisation. A bead of sweat let loose from his scalp and raced down his jawline. _This is unbelievable, just how does he still manage to do this! _His mind sounded, clearly frustrated. _I had gone through every possible scenario of how to deal with him before we started... and yet, he counters my every move!_

"Come on, stop being so passive!" a high pitched voice rung, breaking what he had not realised had become a long silence. He looked up to meet Heimerdinger's impatient expression, a raised eyebrow to accompany it. "You've got to seize any opportunity your opponent gives! Quit wasting time, I have important work to get back to..."

"It would be great if you would give me an opportunity to seize," Jayce sighed as he moved his knight hesitantly towards Heimerdinger's bishop. He glanced over to the captured soldiers of his deck; he had already lost his Queen, how exactly, he still could not begin to comprehend. The knight was dead, and there was nothing he could do about it, but at least it would hold off the attack on his King. "Besides, you always say that," he smiled wickedly as a thought flashed across his mind. "How is clean up duty treating you? Or is it more like nanny duty?"

"That is not how it is, and you know that!" the yordle spat as his already charred hairs raised even higher, almost as though they were separating from each other. Jayce could not contain his amusement, and this only made Heimerdinger angrier. With one swift move, the yordle displaced a chess piece. "Checkmate," he said smirking. "Nice try though, you would have got me if I hadn't anticipated your movements beforehand."

"How is it that after all these years of our annual chess matches, I have never succeeded in winning a single game?!" Jayce moaned and continued

"That being said, I would easily have the advantage in the 'Fields of Justice'" attempting to console himself, although knowing that was not entirely true.

-1-

"Pff, even with your allowed six attacks - which by the way is not fair to us veteran champions - you would not be able to get my turrets!" Heimerdinger laughed mockingly, his voice full confidence and rate of speech ramping up with each word, "Their ability to adapt to any situation presented surpasses the technology of your mercurial hammer. Not to mention their applicable uses outside war," and as though he had suddenly been struck by lightning, he exclaimed, "EUREKA!-" However cowered back down when a sharp dose of pain ran down his spine. "Gaah, I tell you that Ziggs fellow is brilliant... However he's extremely dangerous. I'm surprised they hadn't attempted to get rid of him sooner!" he cried sinking down to the linen of the hospital bed, clearly distraught. "I must return to the lab," he said as he attempted once more to shrivel his way out of his constraints, but his casts responded with equal force.

"Alright, that's enough," Jayce said placing his hand onto Heimerdinger's cast covered shoulders and gently lowered him back into the sheets. "The lab can wait a couple of weeks, I'm sure the school would be able to take care of the damage caused." Though filled with sympathy for his injured colleague, who had been in the vicinity of the blast caused by Ziggs, a scientist that was visiting from Bandle City, his skin was scorched into dark brown with flaked scabs that seemed to endorse his entire body - at least that's what it seemed like from the casts - Jayce could not hide his bemused smile when he asked, "So," he began. "Simply out of curiosity, how long did it actually take you and your partners to realise that he had been tampering with your particle accelerator? Surely you must have noticed that there were some anomalies with the experiments you were conducting over time... How exactly did he manage to evade all your standard protocol checks?"

"That there, is a topic for another day," Heimerdinger hissed defensively then visibly relaxed when he remembered something, "Ah, yes, yes" he remarked. "There has been talk of you being appointed as the Temporary Ambassador for Piltover." Jayce's eyes widened in excitement, but then stopped when a question sprung into mind. As though somehow knowing what Jayce was about to ask, Heimerdinger explained "Temporary because the current Ambassador and several others became critically ill during the Sheriff's last hunting expedition. They currently are under life support and quarantine, however there is an important meeting with the Ionian Council in which the ambassador was supposed to a representative of our city. What a barbarian that woman is! To have them go near the Shadow Isles simply for the thrill of the hunt is just inconceivable."

-2-

"Under quarantine?" Jayce sounded, "What kind of disease is it?"

"It appears to have similar symptoms as the withering disease the young boy who was found in the Kumungu jungle contracted. It apparently has one notable but slight difference; their nervous systems appears to be ... malfunctioning. There appears to be an induced leakage of the electric impulses that are transmitted along their axons. It's impossible, I know, but somehow it is happening. Though the most striking thing about this added condition is that their brains haven't shut down from an overload! It is as though the disease is keeping them alive. Not even our top medics can cure it, nor can the scientists explain it. Why don't you know anything about this?!"

"I was rather occupied with my own experiments, I haven't paid attention to the affairs of the state in ..." Jayce stopped as the knock on the door drew his attention.

A nurse entered uninvited and announced "I'm sorry sir, your visiting time has expired. The patient must now rest." She glanced towards Jayce and shined a shy smile, but her mood shifted when she realised he paid no heed to her.

"I am starting to feel rather heavy, now that you mention it," said Heimerdinger. "Have automated sedative dispensers been introduced into the system? That is ... Quite ... dangerous"

"I will see you some other day then pal" Jayce said, taking his leave. His mind was so shrouded with glee from the thought of his importance finally being acknowledged. Images of lavish parties, luxurious apartments, champagne, cars, riches and beautiful women flooded his mind. _I've waited so long for this_, he thought as he strolled down the hospital's corridor. The reflective metallic walls of the surrounding buildings seemed to fade out of sight as he strolled down the utopian streets. _Ladies_, his mind sounded as vision became clouded with the image of his arms wrapped around two young women; one with blood red hair which flowed down her shoulders and locked on her collar bone, her almond shaped eyes a smouldering deep blue, lips that curved like the Freljord Queen's bow, plump and glistening regardless of the lighting. Her body well founded, a hip width that complimented both her waist and bust, as well as skin that was smoother than the finest of genetically engineered silk. The other with golden hair that embraced her jawline, cheekbones sharper than Ionian blades and eyes darker than midnight. Her legs boasting their length in a lace dress and a silhouette that shamed Valoran's top models. The deafening yells of the reporters and a crowd that cheered even louder than when he had returned from Zaun before he would leave the red carpet to enter the Demacian palace to be greeted with champagne by a black haired waitress.

-3-

A sharp honk startled the young scientist, forcing him to jump back. He had not noticed the traffic lights when crossing the road, which had resulted in an angry bus driver yelling sarcastically "Defender of tomorrow, my backside!" shaking his fist at him as he drove past. A heavy sigh escaped Jayce as he found himself grounded to reality.

_What was the Ambassador doing on the hunting expedition anyway?_ He wondered. The man was a bulky and arrogant man, who he loved nothing more than wine and the pleasure of female company. He was very well known for his extravagant parties. _Goodness knows if the man actually had enough time to crawl out of his house during the day!_ Jayce could not imagine that such a man would willingly go on a potentially life threatening triptrip.

"So why did he go?" He questioned out loudly, then quickly looking around to see if anyone had noticed. _And what is the cause of this mysterious disease? How has no one been able to isolate the pathogen causing it? Why were there only a select number of people who were infected? Does it target a specific gene that the patients just so happen to express?_ Questions continued to come into mind, so much so that his thoughts sounded more like an aggressive parliamentary debate. Yet there were no logical answers to any of them. A simple inquiry then puzzled him further; _Why me? _There were plenty of council members that could have taken the position. Even Sheriff Caitlyn could appoint Deputy Vi as the Temporary Sheriff. _Vi as Sheriff?_ Jayce shuddered at the thought. That would be chaotic, especially with Jinx still on the loose. _Where is that little trouble maker anyway?_ He dared not admit it in public but he had known Jinx since childhood; their relationship not being something he would consider a friendship per-say. The girl was diabolical, but she seemed to be intrigued by Jayce's carefree persona. The fact that he had never really reacted when she caused chaos may be the only reason that he was still alive. To some extent, he enjoyed the trouble she caused - the city would just be too boring otherwise, and the amusement of watching Heimerdinger lose his wit when his robots were outsmarted was simply too enjoyable to give her in. He didn't quite understand how the League had gotten a hold on her, but he knew one thing for sure, she wasn't using her favourite toys on the battlefield. Then again, no one was allowed to use their full potential on the field, as the results would be catastrophic. Except Fiora... she's absolutely useless.

-4-

Jayce entered the apartment complex after a quick scan by the door, pausing to glance at the staircase then elevator. The choice seemed so obvious, but he decided against it. I need the exercise, he sighed and headed towards the staircase. An object came crashing onto the floor from above just before he reached the stairwell, causing him to jump back a few paces. He leaned towards it to observe the broken object, his eyes widening in realisation. _Are those my spare lenses for the laser cutter?!_ He immediately bolted up the stairs, without giving himself time to take a breath. Almost falling on the up the last step, he stumbled into his apartment flustered to find his belongings scrambled across the floor. He walked cautiously through the corridors when he heard a sharp clunk from his bedroom, causing him to flinch. _Please don't tell me,_ he winched as he realised what was happening. He had left his mercurial hammer in the lab since it was undergoing upgrading. _I really ought to make a spare one of those,_ he thought as he sauntered into the room, _speaking of the devil_.

"What on good Earth do you think you are doing?" He asked calmly. Blue braided hair wavered from behind his mirrored wardrobe, paying no heed to him. The rummaging sound escaping the area resulted in his eyebrows being raised, but he waited patiently. Jinx seemed to have some trouble getting out, but managed to do so after placing one leg out of the wardrobe and pulling herself out, springing back awkwardly to her feet. She turned around to face him at which point Jayce could no longer contain himself and burst into a fit of laughter. His sides began to hurt as he guffawed and when he peeked up to realise Jinx's expression was that of an unimpressed person, he laughed even louder. "You've... got something... on... your..." he could not finish the sentence without bursting into an even louder fit of laughter. He struggled to breathe as he spat out "your face! What is that?!" Jinx raised her eyebrow questionably as though she were the one now questioning his sanity. Her eyes widened when she realised what he was talking about.

"Oh this?" she asked, pointing at the fake moustache above her top lip. "It's my new disguise! No one would ever see me coming. Speaking of which, I have a party to crash, which one do I wear?" she continued raising her hands to reveal two of Jayce's suits. He erupted into an even larger fit of laughter, as his knees gave way but then silenced himself when he saw Jinx's impatient expression.

"Okay, I'm sorry," he choked, wiping a tear from his eye. "Take my white one," he said, hoping that she would assume that he favoured the darker suit more and took that instead. He realised his mistake almost immediately as she grinned widely.

-5-

"Ooh, Vi is going to love this one!" she squealed, tossing the other suit away then hugging his debonair suit tightly. Jayce raised his eyebrows questionably.

"I told you not to come here anymore, people will start noticing," he sighed. "Especially with the racket you just clean it up before you leave. And you owe me some rather expensive lenses," he said picking up his suit and replacing it in the wardrobe. "What are you doing here anyway? And where's my clapping monkey?"

"Oh would you relax? You're no fun when you're grumpy," she said pouting. "Besides! I have never been caught. I'm just too good. And the monkey's fine, still got it in one piece." Jayce couldn't help but admit she was right. _How had she even manage to enter again?_ He had had security tightened since the last time she had done so, changing the locking and the profile scanner himself. _There's no way of getting rid of her is there?_ He thought as he let another low volume sigh escape his lips. "I thought you'd be happier to see me!"

"I'm never happy to see you," Jayce spat. "You're still wreaking havoc across the city. You said you would turn yourself in."

"You asked me to turn myself in, I never agreed! If you really want me to go, make me," she dared, sauntering towards biting her bottom lip, stopping an inch away from Jayce's face tapping him lightly on his collar bone. He caught his breath, and looked directly into her fiery red eyes, attempting not to look at the caterpillar shaped moustache hovering above her lips. He bit his lips as they curved upwards. Sucking in a deep breath, he calmed himself. _She's a maniac,_ he reminded himself. "I know you like being rough with me."

"Woah, alright there cowgirl. Leave," he ordered, reaching out hesitantly to return the push on her forehead. "And don't come back. Not even to return things, send it by post. Please."

-6-

"One day you will slip and show some emotion towards me," she said backing away, "and when you do, I will be waiting. Bye grumpy pants!" A bright flash emitted from his collar bone, blinding him and causing him to stumble backwards then trip over a misplaced object. The collision of his arched spine with the floor took him by surprise, knocking the air out his lungs. He struggled to his feet, attempting not to appear panicked when his vision did not return to him immediately, but did so with no avail.

"Ugh! That woman!" He yelled as his arms flayed around him, searching for something to hold on to. He grabbed onto what felt like a door's handle; he had become a stranger in his own home. He rested his palm onto the wall gliding it across and trailing slowly behind it. No wonder no one's been able to catch her! It's like she knows when I'm defenceless! "Wait…" He finally said out loud, his mind contemplating the possibilities. As though forgetting that he was temporarily blinded, Jayce made his way to his living room, sinking into his arm chair. Staring blankly into what was a white sheet before his eyes, Jinx's words replayed in his mind. He did not understand what she meant; though he did know that she craved attention and by not giving it to her in any real form or manner, he was able to keep on her good side. Especially since she'd get excited when she saw people's reactions to what she was doing. _At least she definitely isn't as bad as her sister_, Jayce shuddered. He had never met Jinx's sister but he sure knew what she was capable of. Unlike Jinx, her behaviour was not due to trying to defeat boredom or get attention, she simply revelled in watching people suffer. One could almost say that it was her fault that Jinx turned out the way she did.

His mind began to play the memories of the day he had met Jinx; her fiery blazed hair hovered above her as she jumped continuously trying to repossess her teddy that was being held captive by a boy twice her size. Jayce had been minding his own business, contemplating what items he would need in order to build a magnetic pulser as he rocked on the spring-bound wooden duck. It did draw his attention when he heard a painful wail from their direction – there were now two boys and she was on the floor. He raced to her aid, spreading his arms in a protective manner as he stood between her and the boys.

"Move it, stick man," said one of them, stepping towards him in a menacing manner. Jayce refused to budge, returning a determined glare.

-7-

"You wanna play a hero then? Fine," said the other. As though it were lightning that had struck him, Jayce's jaw was met with a crushing blow which sent him plummeting onto the diced soft wood covered floor, his shoulder making the first contact accompanied by whiplash from his neck springing after him. His vision blurred and ears rung as he choked out something that left a metallic taste in his mouth, the world surrounding slowed but the floor spun rapidly beneath his then motionless body. Two frail legs appeared in front of him, and again as though his mind had negated time, one of the boys came crashing down to the floor, his body jerking uncontrollably. The other seeing what had just happened, took off immediately. The little girl jumped onto the electrocuted boy, hitting him continuously. The thing that brought Jayce back to his senses was the unmistakable look of the state of euphoria the girl had gone into as she caved the boy's face in.

"Stop…" he choked, but she did not pay any heed to him. "Stop it! You're going to kill him!" he managed to cry out. She stopped to look at him, her gaze as though she were looking through glass then burst into a fit of tears. Not knowing what to, Jayce struggled to his feet and headed to console the crying girl. His body rung in pain with each step he took. "It's okay. See you're a strong girl," he said placing his hand on her shoulder.

"They have Mr Pookie," she sobbed. Though his injuries felt alarming, Jayce felt obligated to tend to her, in fear that she would turn on him. He scanned the area for the toy he had brought with him. The clapping monkey laid on its side by the duck-shaped spring seesaw. _But it's my favourite,_ his mind moaned. He moved hesitantly towards the toy, crying out in pain when bent down to pick it. _Something's wrong_, he thought_, I need an ambulance_. He took the monkey back to her, noting each of his injuries with each step; left shoulder, he counted, Right jaw, left rib… maybe two? He looked down at his t-shirt to find a growing blood stain. Neck, I may have a concussion, I shouldn't be moving… Yet he pried on. He began to wind up the clapping monkey as he neared her, smiling weakly as the two cymbals slammed against each other.

"Here," Jayce said, sitting down then handing her his toy. "He can keep you company until we get Mr. Pookie back." She wiped her tears, smearing what seemed to be a mixture of the boy's and her blood across her cheek. She opened her eyes to reveal wolf like blue eyes and smiled pleasantly at the sight of the toy, hugging it tightly. "You don't suit tears," Jayce said softly attempting a smile but the agony from the pressure on his jaw caused his eyes to water. The severity of the injuries alarmed him once more, his vision beginning to blue again and tiredness settling in.

-8-

Her attention then turned to him, "You stand no chance against them," she said, with a worried look. "And you're hurt," she continued, this time sounding worryingly entertained by Jayce's discomfort.

"Glad you find this funny," he managed to chuckle. "I will get stronger. So tomorrow I'll be more able to defend you," he said, his speech slowing and he grew increasingly more tired. "But if I can't, I think you can handle it," he yawned as he gave into his weight that pulled beneath him as the world turned faded into darkness.

The faint sound of a roar-like heavy breathing caught Jayce's attention from his dreamlike state, pulling him closer into consciousness. A faint but consistent beep became irritatingly audible, but his ears failed to locate its origin. His eyes opened slowly, the ceiling light painfully blinding, yet he could not turn away. In fact, he noticed, he had no mobility in any of his limbs. A sharp pang escaped his chest, his heart swelling up to double its size. _No… Please God no_, he begged silently as his throat began to throb. The frequency of the beeping increased, reaching an alarming pitch.

"Baby?! Baby?!" cried a familiar voice as something heavy collapsed around his already wounded chest. "Somebody help him!" they yelled, resulting in a chorus of skittering spaced steps from what he guessed was outside. A loud bang emerged from the right side of the room as incomprehensible muffled yells of high pitched voices drawing closer to his lame body. Bodies surrounded him, as the weight was released from his chest, blurred figures came into view. "His heart just spiked! Help him please!" cried the family voice once more.

After some observation by the figures hovering above him, they turned way and one said "There's no need to worry madam, he is simply under shock. We applied a weak sedative that should induce partial sleep paralysis. This is to reduce strain from his treatment."

"Ma?" Jayce managed to say, after realising who the family voice was. His vision returned to him once more, a tear forming on his lower lid. He stared at blankly at his wall of trophies, which encased his Holovisor. Sucking in a deep breath, he took grip on the reality that he was presented with once more. He glanced to the mirror on his right, a sky blue eyed, broody faced man looked back at him. His hair jagged, matching his five o'clock shadow that sprung from the silver hair that graced his cheekbones. Jayce let out a disgruntled sighed, _I'm a mess_, he thought as he raised his head up to the ceiling. _I need to get ready, especially if what Heimerdinger says is true. Cait probably will be calling around soon._ Excitement rushed through his fatigued body, as he began to plan ahead. Nothing could stop him on his track on becoming the most influential man in Valoran. "Next stop, Ionia," he said out loud, unable to resist the cheshire grin that crept upon his face.

**-9-**

**A/C:**

**In case you are still confused about the prologue, the black haired person was LeBlanc and the red head was Katarina who Shun Po'ed (teleported) behind LeBlanc and stabbed her. LeBlanc is a master illusionist and magician, and thus was not easily caught. One of her abilities as most fans and players of League of legends would know her passive ability and her 'w' ability - distort. This was a demonstration of how this could be used outside of the Summoner's rift. Keep reading to understand how this works out further or read about their lore online... if you really feel like spoilers XD. But worry-eth not, this all does tie in together... eventually. Also we will be looking at different perspectives of the characters in the story to give more background.**


	3. Chapter Two: The Mist

p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"She stared blankly at the shipwreck that was displayed before her, the result a slight pinch of her wrath. Her gaze turned to the waves that crashed beneath her as she hovered above them weightlessly, mesmerized as they tumbled onto the seashore, embracing all objects they were met with then swallowing them into their depths. The way they dispersed as they crashed into the shipwreck remains only to coalesce once more, as though waltzing slowly as they reflected the crescent moon and its stars. The gilded figurehead that once endowed the bowsprit of the ship laid sideways, its arms still reaching out, now as though in to cry for help, lips puckered as though whistling a tune and its carved hair appearing as though the waves caused it to flow under their influence. Oh, the irony, she thought as she watched it sway back and forth above the waves, the ship's flames flickering from the corner of her vision./p  
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"Something then wavered from the area, followed up by water parting as a survivor dived in then clawing their way to the surface, gasping for air, wheezing, coughing and panicked. His face wrung with confusion, clearly unsure of how the tragedy that he beheld had come to be. Her curiosity peaked as she observed him, drawing her closer, floating around him gently assuming he would notice nothing but her mist that was well known to surround this island. His response to the change did in fact surprise her, as he growled at the empty space around him. He must have noticed my presence. No matter, she thought drawing even closer to him until they were face-to-face. She observed his features; his dark hair fell over an emerald encrusted golden headband. Three aged red tattooed lines ran down the left side of his face, missing only his grass green eyes that shone clear as the flames reflected off them. He appeared to notice the sudden proximity of his pursuer who was indiscernible from the environment, baring his teeth as he growled at the mist that surrounded him, causing his Fu Manchu moustache to pull up into a theatrical frown above his taut lips. She nearly gasped out loud in realisation when she noticed a striking resemblance. It can't be, she thought but dismissed the thought immediately. It was impossible, they were all dead. She had been forced to witness it with her own eyes. Her anger grew, sending a current across the molecules of herself that she had dispersed so tenderly./p  
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"The survivor cried in pain as he received the charge surge that she had just released, his head dropping as he fell unconscious when she seized the current. His body failed, causing him to land face first into the water as he floated. A stroke of sympathy graced her when she noticed he was still alive. Still concealed, she directed a chunk of her mist ingrained self into his lungs, spreading rapidly as she bound to his cells, taking control of his entire brain and thus the body of the survivor as she gained more control over his blood flow. It was only a matter of time until she could disperse and coalesce his body at will. She did not bother with examining his memories; he was Noxian, and that was all she needed to know in order to use him as a message. She did admire his resilience though; for one not to cower in fear after the catastrophe she had just caused with such ease, it appeared as though Noxus had gained some valuable soldiers. I wonder what rank they would have become if... She rebuked the thought as sorrow begot her once more. Yet it haunted her; the day her sons were taken away. The gruesome manner in which she had been forced to watch, and for what? Simply because she wanted no more of the empire that she had built. The knowledge she had so sought and gained after years of relentless searching had only led to the realisation that what she and her sisters had worked so hard to construct, the one thing that would uphold her country, would also inevitably be its ruin. What she sought came with a price; the draining of all her magic seemed a little price to pay compared to power she would gain from performing the ritual to unlock the ancient arts. However, upon its completion she was left with overzealous need to flee from the fate that was revealed to her. If she could not, she simply prayed that her sons wouldn't be drawn into the calamity. But as she soon realised, the price the ritual had demanded had more severe repercussions than had been immediately apparent. The next set of actions she carried out she believed were under complete discretion, however that inevitably proved not to be the case. Those she had once called sisters saw an opportunity and seized it, storming her home and plucking her from her throne like a flower from the soil. As helpless as a lame child thrown into a lion's den; the political power she believed she had accumulated through her reign in the shadows, power she had shared with the sisters she had come to love so, was not enough to protect her from their wrath in her most vulnerable moment. However, that was the Noxian way; all that was weak was to be eradicated. A powerless leader was a hindrance to the overall integrity of the cooperation, and thus, her and her kin were to be eliminated. Though it appeared to be that these plans were set in motion before she had become vulnerable./p  
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"She raised the survivor's body from the water, forcing the water from his lungs, allowing him to draw a sharp breath. Drawing his near weightless body on to the shore, she placed his feet carefully onto the dampened sand. She commanded the survivor forward, his feet dragging sluggishly into the nearby wasteland, however she realised that in his current state she was unable to discern the nature of his abilities. He was a no mage, that was certain, but though his build suggested that he was warrior, he seemed only moderately proficient in wielding of the blades that had washed ashore. Her patience wore thin, leading her to return his consciousness but ensuring that he only carried out her desires, silencing him so she would not have to pay heed to his pleas for his freedom. She led him back onto the shore, a journey she had not wished to repeat, she believed he was a soldier that was worth keeping alive./p  
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""Find your weapon," she commanded upon arrival as he hovered above him, watching intently. He sauntered across the sand in an exaggerated fashion, as though mocking the fact that he had lost his will. Halting a couple of paces between the shore and the desolate jungle, the survivor whistled through his teeth, releasing a pitch resembling that of a steaming kettle. A brief silence passed before his attention turned towards the jungle from which they had just emerged. As though setting his eyes on a long lost lover, he ventured towards the jungle, her smog swallowing him into its depths. She watched intently from within her cloaking as he approached a thorn vine protected tree, reaching his hand without hesitation to release a circular grip bound sword that was wedged in the bark of the tree. His next motions captivated her; wrenching the sword out of the tree, unfazed when the thorns ripped through his flesh. He somersaulted out of the jungle to land on the sand, his smile now pulling his Fu Manchu moustache to complete a theatrical smile as he hurled the retrieved blade into a pit of fire that engulfed the shipwreck./p  
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"His image morphed into that of a young boy holding a carved stick, as a memory flashed before her vision./p  
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;""You will never be able to fight all opponent from that distance. You must be able be one step ahead of them especially if they have reached distance of hand-to-hand combat," her own voice rung in her ears. She stirred as he forced herself to remain seated in the leather bound wheelchair that contained her. His elder brother stood a few feet away from him patiently as his carved wooden broad sword rested on his shoulder. His gaze did not shift from his younger brother, whose stance was rather poor, however was not to be underestimated as his small frame allowed him to be agile. Though he was no more than seven years of age, the young boy had become able to strategize against his elder brother who relied brute force. This made the two formidable opponents when faced against the other trainees in the Noxian military camp. It was easy to discern that the two were brothers as they shared near identical features, however the elder was older by a fair few years, showing promise of towering over men. The two however, could not be more different in character; where the elder brother extruded a serious demeanour with no true desire for the battlefield, however felt the duty to represent the integrity of his city. His brother on the contrary lavished basking in the glory of battle. He fought as though he paid tribute to an audience, celebrating his victory against each foe. Unlike his elder, he could not wait until it was his time to excel on the battlefield. His fighting manner however, was considered unorthodox to his mentors, resulting in his acquisition of a specially crafted stick for his duelling practice./p  
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"She gestured at her sons to resume their spar session, her gaze burning deep with the intent of scrutiny. The eldest brother began, wooden broad sword in hand and his feet digging into the grass covered fertile soil beneath him as he prepared to charge towards his younger. The younger swiftly darted to the side of his elder, lunging his weapon at his head, knocking him unconscious immediately after their paths collided. The weapon rebounded off the elder at an angle different from which it was thrown, causing the younger to reflexively jump in its direction, catching it in mid air./p  
p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"The figurine of her younger son then took back the shape of the survivor whose blade had returned from the flames with another following soon after, spinning then in both hands nonchalantly before stopping to use his finger to gesture the slicing of a throat at his captor./p

****AN**: This chapter is incomplete but it has been very difficult doing the last bits I've finished. It will not take me long to complete the chapter now.


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